Halloween is without argument my favorite day of the year. It is the one day I interface with children in any significant, prolonged manner. I am Auntie Mame for a day! I explained it to one parent of a trick or treater this way (after she admonished her brood to exercise their manners and thank me*):

The pleasure is all mine. I look at it this way: I get to enjoy all the cute costumes and talk to the kids. In return for this I give them candy. When I am done I go back to enjoying the fact I am NOT a parent. Youare the one who has to handle them once they get all hopped up on sweets. I get all of the fun with noneof the consequences!

She laughed and wholeheartedly concurred with my analysis.

While the kids I met yesterday were great, the costumes by and large were lacking: most were store bought. There is nothing wrong with this, mind you. I understand many parents do not have the time and/or inclination to DIY it. However, one fellow did— and quite frankly it is one of the most amazing Halloween get-ups I have ever seen.

Behold, a stroller retrofitted into a Sanitation truck replete with logo! The young un’, naturally, is dressed up as one of New York’s Strongest. Not only is this one of the most imaginative “costumes” I have ever beheld, but I have a confession to make: I harbor a great deal of admiration and respect for our fair city’s Sanitation workers. You know how the adage goes:

It’s a dirty job but someone’s gotta do it.

Not only is it dirty work, but it also among one of the most dangerous civil service occupations to be had. It is more dangerous than being a police officer or firefighter. Don’t believe me? Click here and read for yourself. In Halloweens past I have beheld a bevy of our Bravest and plenty of petite policemen. Yesterday our Strongest finally got the nod they deserve.

This one’s for you, guys (and ladies)!

*I feel compelled to state for the record that all the kids to whom I gave candy deported themselves nicely. Many “Thank Yous” or— from the more bashful, smiles and nods— were tendered. The only problematic incident came at the behest of a parent. She somehow felt entitled to “select” her toddler’s candy. My educated guess is her selection was for her own delectation. Guess what? Heather don’t play that.

No, gentle readers, it simply does not work that way. I made this abundantly clear too. More specifically, I replied:

You either take the Baby Ruth bar or you get nothing.

She took it.

UPDATE, 4:24 p.m.:As I have been whiling away this bleak, cold afternoon via housework I mulled over this year’s Halloween experience. In so doing, I had a capital idea. This I pitched to the Mister: he agreed. Next year, there will be a special cache of candy for the parents of:

especially well-behaved/charming children

toddlers who are beginning to get their fatigue-induced. terrible two/threes crankies on.